Support structure for tank car

ABSTRACT

A railway tank car including a longitudinally extending tubular body shell, first and second truck saddle structures respectively positioned adjacent to the outer ends of the body shell for supporting the same upon associated trucks each carrying draft connections, first and second elongated slabbing structures respectively positioned between the first and second truck saddle structures and the body shell, first and second reinforcing members respectively associated with the first and second slabbing structures, each of the reinforcing members including a plurality of parallel spaced-apart bars extending longitudinally of the body shell, the reinforcing members cooperating to provide at least one bar extending substantially the entire length of the body shell between the slabbing structures, the bars being suitably secured to the slabbing structures and to the body shell to distribute stress due to buff and draft forces to the body shell.

United States Patent Price et a].

3,662,692 1 May 16, 1972 [54] SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR TANK CAR [72] Inventors: Albert E. Price, Brookfield; Erling Mowatt-Larssen, Warren, both of Ohio [73] Assignee: General American Transportation Corporation, Chicago, Ohio [22] Filed: Jan. 23, 1970 [21] App1.No.: 5,196

[52] 11.8. C1 ..l05/358, 105/362 [51] Int.C1... ..B6ld 5/06 [58] Field of Search 105/358, 360, 362

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,336,879 8/1967 Halcomb ..105/358 3,139,841 7/1964 Krause, Jr... ....105/360 3,326,141 6/1967 Graves ..l05/358 Primary Examiner-Arthur L. La Point Assistant Examiner-Richard A. Bertsch Attorney-Prangley, Clayton, Mullin, Dithmar & Vogel [5 7] ABSTRACT A railway tank car including a longitudinally extending tubular body shell, first and second truck saddle structures respectively positioned adjacent to the outer ends of the body shell for supporting the same upon associated trucks each carrying draft connections, first and second elongated slabbing structures respectively positioned between the first and second truck saddle structures and the body shell, first and second reinforcing members respectively associated with the first and second slabbing structures, each of the reinforcing members including a plurality of parallel spaced-apart bars extending longitudinally of the body shell, the reinforcing members cooperating to provide at least one bar extending substantially the entire length of the body shell between the slabbing structures, the bars being suitably secured to the slabbing structures and to the body shell to distribute stress due to buff and draft forces to the body shell.

10 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures llllllllll SUPPORT STRUCTURE FOR TANK CAR This invention relates to reinforcing members for a railway tank car and more specifically this invention relates to reinforcing members in the form of a plurality of bars for a railway tank car without continuous type underframing or with stub centersills.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a railway tank car comprising a longitudinally extending fluidtight tubular body shell, first and second truck saddle structures respectively positioned adjacent to the outer ends of the body shell for supporting the same upon associated trucks each carrying draft connections, first and second elongated slabbing structures respectively positioned between the first and second truck saddle structures and the body shell and suitably secured thereto, each of the slabbing structures extending longitudinally of the body shell and conforming to the outer adjacent surface of the body shell, first and second reinforcing members respectively associated with the first and second slabbing structures, each of the reinforcing members including a plurality of parallel spaced-apart bars extending longitudinally of the body shell from a position disposed upon the inboard end of the adjacent slabbing structure to a position disposed toward the inboard end of the other slabbing structure, the bars being suitably secured to the adjacent slabbing structure and to the body shell, whereby stress due to buff and draft forces transmitted by the couplers and the associated draft connections to the elongated support structure is distributed to the body shell along the portion of the reinforcing members secured to the body shell.

. The invention, both as to its organization and method of operation, together with further objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a railway tank car incorporating thereon the reinforcing members of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a bottom elevational view, with certain parts removed, of the railway tank car of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged bottom elevational view of a portion of the railway tank car shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view in section of the railway tank car shown in FIG. 3 taken along line 44 thereof; 7

FIG. 5 is an enlarged view in section of the railway tank car shown in FIG. 3 taken along line 5-5 thereof; and

F IG. 6 is an enlarged view in section of the railway tank car shown in FIG. 3 taken along line 6-6 thereof.

There is hereinafter disclosed a railway tank car 100 incorporating the features of the present invention, the railway tank car 100 being of the type without a continuous underframe or of the type having stub centersills. Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the railway tank car 100 includes a longitudinally extending fluid-tight tubular body shell 105, the tubular body shell 105 may be made of a plurality of sections suitably sealed together and further including at either end thereof a convex end section 106 suitably connected to the body shell 105 as at welded seams 107.

The tank car 100 is further provided with two sets of trucks 110 respectively positioned adjacent to the convex end sections 106 of the body shell 105, each of the trucks 110 including a plurality of flanged wheels 111 and the usual truck side frames (not shown), it being understood that the trucks 110 are of the usual type provided in railway tank cars of the type here illustrated.

The railway tank car 100 further includes two stub centersills 115 each respectively positioned between an associated truck 110 and the body shell 105 adjacent one of the convex end sections 106 thereof, each of the stub centersills 115 including two spaced-apart outwardly extending top flanges 116 and two spaced-apart outwardly extending bottom flanges 117, each of the top flanges 116 and the bottom flanges 117 being interconnected by a vertically disposed side web 118, the top flanges 116 of the stub centersills 115 extending outboard of the body shell 105 may be interconnected by cross members or platforms (not shown). A coupler 119 is carried on the outboard end of each stub centersill 115.

The railway tank car is also provided with elongated slabbing structures 120, each ,of the slabbing structures 120 respectively being positioned between one of the stub centersills and the body shell 105 adjacent each of the convex end sections 106 thereof. Each of the elongated slabbing structures includes an arcuate body portion 121 shaped to conform to the outer adjacent surface of the body shell 105, the body portion 121 having two opposed and parallel side edges 122 interconnected at the outboard ends thereof by an arcuate end edge 123 and interconnected at the inboard ends thereof by an arcuate end edge 125. The elongated slabbing structures 120 are suitably secured to the body shell 105 of the tank car 100 by weldments 126 along the side edges 122 of the body portion 121. Intermediate each. of the elongated slabbing structures 120 is positioned a saddle plate 130, the saddle plate 130 being in the form of a cradle extending part way up each side of the body shell 105. Each of the saddle plates 130 is provided on both sides of the body shell 105 with a side plate 131 forming a plane transverse to the longitudinal axis of the body shell 105 and providing support for the saddle plates 130 and the body shell 105.

The tank car 100 further includes two manways 135 positioned on the top of the body shell 105 to provide communication between the outside of the tank car 100 and the inside of the body shell 105, whereby it is possible for an attendant to enter the tank car 100 through the manways 135, thereby to service the tank car 100. Two safety valves 136 are positioned on the top of the body shell 105 outboard of the manways 135, the safety valves 136 providing for the escape of gases which may build up within the tank car 100 due to the particular material stored therewithin, thereby to prevent rupture of the body shell 105 due to excessive pressures developed within the tank car 100. The tank car 100 is further provided with hand rails 140, the hand rails 140 are positioned on top of the body shell 105 to provide hand-holds for attendants of the tank car 100, each of the hand rails 140 including two spacedapart parallel bars 141 and 142 interconnected by a plurality of vertically disposed and longitudinally spaced-apart struts 143. As shown in the Figures, there are provided two such hand rails 140 positioned respectively on each side of a ladder 145, the ladder 145 extending from the top of the body shell 105 to the bottom thereof, thereby to provide for easy access to the top of the tank car 100. There is further provided at each end of the tank car 100 a ladder 147 fixedly connected to the respective stub centersill 115, thereby to provide for easy access from the ground to the stub centersill 115. Hand rails 148 are positioned adjacent the end of each of the stub centersills 115, the hand rails 148 being connected to the adjacent convex end section 106 of the tank car 100 by horizontally disposed struts 149.

The tank car 100 is further provided with a bottom valve 150 positioned substantially on the vertical midplane of the body shell 105 at the bottom thereof to provide communication between the inside of the tank car 100 and outside thereof. The bottom valve 150 has an overlapping reinforcement ring 151 disposed therearound and suitably welded to the body shell 105, the bottom valve 150 being in registry with an aperture 152 in the body shell 105, thereby to provide the afore-mentioned communication.

Associated with each of the slabbing structures 120 is a reinforcing member 160, as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4, the two reinforcing members being identical in construction, whereby only one of the reinforcing members 160 will hereinafter be described. Each of the reinforcing members 160 includes a bar positioned substantially along the vertical midplane of the body shell 105 along the bottom thereof and extending longitudinally therealong from a position disposed upon the inboard end of the adjacent slabbing structure 120 to a position disposed toward the other slabbing structure 120. The bar 165 includes a central portion 166, an outboard portion 171 and an inboard portion 176, the central portion 166 being rectangular in cross section and formed of two parallel side walls 167 connected by a bottom wall 168 and an abutment wall 169. The abutment wall 169 is disposed against the body shell l05 and suitably secured thereto as by weldments 170. The outboard portion 171 of the bar 165 is rectangular in cross section but has a smaller vertical extent than does the central portion 166, see FIGS. 5 and 6, the outboard portion 171 having an end wall 172 at the outboard end thereof substantially normal to the body shell 105 and a transition segment 173 at the inboard end thereof interconnecting the outboard portion 171 with the central portion 166. The outboard portion 171 has an abutment wall 174 suitably secured to the adjacent slabbing structure 120 as by weldments 170.

The inboard portion 176 of the bar 165 has an end wall 177 at the inboard end thereof substantially normal to the body shell 105 and is connected to the central portion 166 of the bar 165 by a transition segment 178, the inboard portion 176 of the bar 165 having a rectangular cross section reduced in vertical extent as compared to the central portion 166. The inboard portion 176 of the bar 165 has an abutment wall 179 suitably secured to the overlapping reinforcement ring 151 surrounding the bottom valve 150, such as by weldments (not shown). Since each of the two bars 165 of the reinforcing members 160 is suitably secured to the overlapping reinforcement ring 151, which ring 151 is also suitably secured to the body shell 105, it can be stated that the tank car 100 is provided with a continuous bar 165 interconnecting the slabbing structures 120 and being suitably secured to the body shell 105 intermediate the slabbing structures 120. it is seen, however, that the continuous bar 165 can be interrupted at various points therealong.

There is further provided parallel to and spaced apart from the bar 165 a side bar 180, the side bar 180 having a central portion l8l, outboard portion 186 and an inboard portion 191. The side bar 180 is rectangular in cross section and is formed of two spaced-apart parallel side walls 182 interconnected at one end thereof by a bottom wall 183 and interconnected with the other end thereof by an abutment wall 184, the abutment wall 184 being positioned in use to abut against the body shell 105 and is suitably secured thereto by weldments 185. The outboard portion 186 of the side bar 180 has at the end thereof an end wall 187 spaced apart from the inboard edge of one of the side webs 118 of the adjacent stub centersill 115, the outboard portion 186 of the side bar 180 further including an abutment wall 189 positioned in use against the adjacent slabbing structure 120 and suitably secured thereto by weldments 185. As may be seen by comparison of FIGS. 5 and 6, the outboard portion 186 is rectangular in cross section although the vertical extent of the outboard portion 186 of the side bar 180 is reduced as compared to the vertical extent of the central portion 181 thereof, the outboard portion 186 being connected to the central portion 181 by a transition segment 188 positioned near the inboard edge of the adjacent slabbing structure 120. The inboard portion 191 of the side bar 180 includes an end wall 192 positioned substantially normal to the body shell 105, the inboard portion 191 being rectangular in cross section and having a reduced vertical extent with respect to the vertical extent of the central portion 181, the end wall 192 being connected to the bottom wall 183 by a diagonal segment 193. As may be seen, the longitudinal extent of the side bar 180 is less than the longitudinal extent of the bar 165, the side bar 180 being positioned so that the bar 165 extendslongitudinally beyond the inboard and the outboard ends of the bar 180.

There is further provided a side bar 200 parallel to and spaced apart from the bar 165 and disposed on the side thereof opposite the bar 180, the side bar 200 having a central portion 201, outboard portion 206 and an inboard portion 211. The side bar 200 is rectangular in cross section and is formed of two spaced-apart parallel side walls 202 interconnected at one end thereof by a bottom wall 203 and interconnected with the other end thereof by an abutment wall 204,

the abutment wall 204 being positioned in use to abut against the body shell and is suitably secured thereto by weldments 205. The outboard portion 206 of the side bar 200 has at the end thereof an end wall 207 spaced apart from the inboard edge of one of the side webs 118 of the adjacent stub centersill 115, the outboard portion 206 of the side bar 200 further including an abutment wall 209 positioned in use against the adjacent slabbing structure 120 and suitably secured thereto by weldments 205. As may be seen by comparison of FIGS. 5 and 6, the outboard portion206 is rectangular in cross section although the vertical extent of the out board portion 206 of the side bar 200 is reduced as compared to the vertical extent of the central portion 201 thereof, the outboard portion 206 being connected to the central portion 201 by a transition segment 208 positioned near the inboard edge of the adjacent slabbing structure 120. The inboard portion 211 of the side bar 200 includes an end wall 212 posi'- tioned substantially normal to the body shell 105, and having a reduced vertical extent with respect to the vertical extent of the central portion 201, the end wall 212 being connected to the bottom wall 203 by a diagonal segment 213. As may be seen, the longitudinal extent of the bar 165, the side bar 200 being positioned so that the bar 165 extends longitudinally beyond the inboard and the outboard ends of the side bar 200.

During operation of the tank car 100, buff and draft forces are created and transmitted by the couplers 119 through the stub centersills to the body shell 105, whereby stresses created thereby may serve to buckle or rupture the shell 105 or otherwise dislodge the shell 105 from the stub centersills 115. Distribution of the stress created by the buff and draft forces to the body shell 105 is provided by the slabbing structures 120 and the saddle plates however, high stress concentrations occur at the inboard arcuate ends 125 of the slabbing structures 120, which high stress concentrations can result in buckling of the shell 105 or rupture thereof. To this end, the reinforcing members are provided, whereby more evenly to distribute the stresses due to buff and draft forces from the slabbing structures 120 to the body shell 105. The bar is generally welded to the body shell 105 and the adjacent slabbing structure 120, as hereinbefore set forth; however, the bar 165 is not welded to the body shell 105 on the adjacent slabbing structure 120 for a predetermined distance on either side of the adjacent slabbing structure 120. The preferred distance on either side of the arcuate edge '125 of the adjacent slabbing structure 120 in which the bar 165 is unsecured to the body shell 105 and the adjacent slabbing structure 120 is about 1 inch extending from the arcuate edge portion inboard and outboard thereof. Preferably, the side bars and 200 are also unsecured to the body shell 105 and the adjacent slabbing structure 120, thereby to provide a transition shown at the inboard end 125 of the adjacent slabbing structure 120 for the even distribution of stresses due to the buff and draft forces from the adjacent slabbing structure 120 to the body shell 105 along the portions of the reinforcing members 160 suitably secured to the body shell 105. As may be seen, stresses due to the buff and draft forces are now distributed over a much greater longitudinal area of the bottom of the tank shell 105 due to the provision of the reinforcing members 160 as compared to the distribution of the stresses by the slabbing structures 120 without the provision of the reinforcing members 160.

An important feature of the present invention is the various vertical extents of the reinforcing members 160, whereby the bottom walls 168, 183 and 203 thereof are always at a predetermined vertical distance from the body shell 105 to provide a uniform cross sectional vertical extent, which uniform extent serves to reduce the build-up of high stress concentrations. It is clearly seen that, for instance, the bottom wall 168 of the, bar 165 is substantially parallel to the body shell 105 and the same is true for the bottom walls 183 and 203 of the respective side bars 180 and 200.

In a constructional example of the present invention, one of the bars 165 is 164 9% inches in length and the other of the bars 165 is 218 inches in length, each of the bars 165 is 1 Mi. inches wide and with the vertical extent of the central portion 166 thereof being 2 A inches, the vertical extent of the outboard portion 171 thereof being 1 inches and the vertical extent of the inboard portion 176 thereof adjacent the end wall 177 being l 1% inches. The weldments 170 are 5 1 inch filet welds and may extend the length of the bar 165 on both sides thereof from the outboard end of the transition segment 178 to within 1 inch inboard of the inboard end of the transition segment 173. The bar 165 is further welded to the adjacent slabbing structure 120 from the outboard end 172 thereof to within 1 inch of the inboard arcuate end 125 of the adjacent slabbing structure 120.

The side bars 180 and 200 are identical in length, each being 53 inches long and 1 M1 inches wide. The vertical extent of the sidebars 180 and 200 is the same as the vertical extent of the bar 165, the side bars 180 and 200 being spaced 7 inches from the outside edge of the respective side bars 180 and 200 to the longitudinal centerline of the bar 165 and the center bar 165 extends 8 inches outboard of the end walls 187 and 207 of the respective side bars 180 and 200.

As may be seen therefore, there has been provided a railway tank car having first and second reinforcing members respectively associated with first and second slabbing structures, whereby stress due to buff and draft forces more evenly is distributed to the body shell, while there has been described what is at present considered to be the preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that various modifications may be made therein and it is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A railway tank car comprising a longitudinally extending fluid-tight tubular body shell, first and second truck saddle structures respectively positioned adjacent to the outer ends of said body shell for supporting the same upon associated trucks each carrying draft connections, first and second elongated slabbing structures respectively positioned between said first and second truck saddle structures and said body shell and suitably secured thereto, each of said slabbing structures extending longitudinally of said body shell and conforming to the outer adjacent surface of said body shell, first and second reinforcing members respectively associated with said first and second slabbing structures, each of said reinforcing members including a plurality of parallel spaced-apart bars extending longitudinally of said body shell along the bottom thereof from a position disposed upon the inboard end of the adjacent slabbing structure to a position disposed toward the inboard end of the other slabbing structure, each of said bars being substantially rectangular in transverse cross section and being suitably secured to the adjacent slabbing structure and to said body shell, whereby stress due to buff and draft forces transmitted by the couplers and the associated draft connections to said elongated support structure is distributed to said body shell along the portion of said reinforcing members secured to said body shell.

2. The railway tank car set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said reinforcing members includes three parallel spaced-apart bars, the center ones of said bars extending substantially the entire length of said body shell between said slabbing structures.

3. The railway tank car set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said reinforcing members includes three parallel spaced-apart bars, the center one of said bars having a longitudinal extent larger than the other ones of said bars.

4. The railway tank car set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said reinforcing members includes three parallel spaced-apart bars, the outer two bars having essentially the same longitudinal extent,

5. The railway tank car set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said reinforcing members includes three parallel spaced-apart bars, the center one of said bars extending beyond the ends of the other ones of said bars, the other ones of said bars having essentially the same longitudinal extent and being aligned one with the other.

a 6. The railway tank car set forth in claim 1, wherein the portions of said bars near the inboard end of the adjacent slabbing structures are unsecured to the adjacent slabbing structure.

7. The railway tank car set forth in claim 1, wherein the portions of said bars near the inboard end of the adjacent slabbing structure are unsecured to the body shell.

8. A railway tank car comprising a longitudinally extending fluid-tight tubular body shell, first and second truck saddle structures respectively positioned adjacent to the outer ends of said body shell for supporting the same upon associated trucks each carrying draft connections, first and second elongated slabbing structures respectively positioned between said first and second truck saddle structures and said body shell and suitably secured thereto, each of said slabbing structures extending longitudinally of said body shell and conforming to the outer adjacent surface of said body shell, first and second reinforcing members respectively associated with said first and second slabbing structures, each of said reinforcing members including three parallel spaced apart bars extending longitudinally of said body shell along the bottom thereof from a position disposed upon the inboard end of the adjacent slabbing structure to a position disposed toward the inboard end of the other slabbing structure, said bars being suitably secured to the adjacent slabbing structure and to said body shell, whereby stress due to buff and draft forces transmitted by the couplers and the associated draft connections to said elongated support structure is distributed to said body shell along the portion of said reinforcing members secured to said body shell.

9. The railway tank car set forth in claim 8, wherein said bars each have a rectangular cross section. I

10. The railway tank car set forth in claim 8, wherein said bars each have a rectangular cross section, said bars in use being disposed with the longer cross-sectional dimension thereof positioned substantially vertically. 

1. A railway tank car comprising a longitudinally extending fluid-tight tubular body shell, first and second truck saddle structures respectively positioned adjacent to the outer ends of said body shell for supporting the same upon associated trucks each carrying draft connections, first and second elongated slabbing structures respectively positioned between said first and second truck saddle structures and said body shell and suitably secured thereto, each of said slabbing structures extending longitudinally of said body shell and conforming to the outer adjacent surface of said body shell, first and second reinforcing members respectively associated with said first and second slabbing structures, each of said reinforcing members including a plurality of parallel spaced-apart bars extending longitudinally of said body shell along the bottom thereof from a position disposed upon the inboard end of the adjacent slabbing structure to a position disposed toward the inboard end of the other slabbing structure, each of said bars being substantially rectangular in transverse cross section and being suitably secured to the adjacent slabbing structure and to said body shell, whereby stress due to buff and draft forces transmitted by the couplers and the associated draft connections to said elongated support structure is distributed to said body shell along the portion of said reinforcing members secured to said body shell.
 2. The railway tank car set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said reinforcing members includes three parallel spaced-apart bars, the center ones of said bars extending substantially the entire length of said body shell between said slabbing structures.
 3. The railway tank car set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said reinforcing members includes three parallel spaced-apart bars, the center one of said bars having a longitudinal extent larger than the other ones of said bars.
 4. The railway tank car set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said reinforcing members includes three parallel spaced-apart bars, the outer two bars having essentially the same longitudinal extent.
 5. The railway tank car set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said reinforcing members includes three parallel spaced-apart bars, the center one of said bars extending beyond the ends of the other ones of said bars, the other ones of said bars having essentially the same longitudinal extent and being aligned one with the other.
 6. The railway tank car set forth in claim 1, wherein the portions of said bars near the inboard end of the adjacent slabbing structures are unsecured to the adjacent slabbing structure.
 7. The railway tank car set forth in claim 1, wherein the portions of said bars near the inboard end of the adjacent slabbing structure are unsecured to the body shell.
 8. A railway tank car comprising a longitudinally extending fluid-tight tubular body shell, first and second truck saddle structures respectively positioned adjacent to the outer ends of said body shell for supporting the same upon associated trucks each carrying draft connections, first and second elongated slabbing structures respectively positioned between said first and second truck saddle structures and said body shell and suitably secured thereto, each of said slabbing structures extending longitudinally of said body shell and conforming to the outer adjacent surface of said body shell, first and second reinforcing members respectively associated with said fIrst and second slabbing structures, each of said reinforcing members including three parallel spaced apart bars extending longitudinally of said body shell along the bottom thereof from a position disposed upon the inboard end of the adjacent slabbing structure to a position disposed toward the inboard end of the other slabbing structure, said bars being suitably secured to the adjacent slabbing structure and to said body shell, whereby stress due to buff and draft forces transmitted by the couplers and the associated draft connections to said elongated support structure is distributed to said body shell along the portion of said reinforcing members secured to said body shell.
 9. The railway tank car set forth in claim 8, wherein said bars each have a rectangular cross section.
 10. The railway tank car set forth in claim 8, wherein said bars each have a rectangular cross section, said bars in use being disposed with the longer cross-sectional dimension thereof positioned substantially vertically. 